


and the sun is coming through;

by skihale



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Magical Realism, Shifter!Kuguri, Shifter!Shibayama, Surgeon!Akaashi, Surgeon!Bokuto, Surgeon!Daishou, Surgeon!Kuguri, Surgeon!Semi, hospital!AU, shifter!AU, witch!yaku
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-03 03:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10234823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skihale/pseuds/skihale
Summary: Kuguri never thinks that he'll ever have to be brave and face his crush on a cute shop keep. Until it's not his choice anymore.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for selpeda.tumblr.com! 
> 
> It was great fun writing for this pairing! <3
> 
> I hope you enjoy it ~

Kuguri’s ears and nose twitched at the sounds and smells that drifted to him on the city air. The wind blew through his hair as he turned off of the bustling downtown street and into a quieter neighborhood of locally owned shops and apartments. It was still a couple blocks until he reached his destination, but he could smell the herbs already. 

After a moment of hesitation, he sat on a bench at the bus stop across from a botanical shop that he frequented. The scent of lavender and vanilla billowed in smoke from a vent on the front of the brick building. It fogged upon contact with the cool autumn air in a comforting way. Floor to ceiling windows glinted in the fading sunlight, before the sun dipped below the buildings and it was then that Kuguri saw him.

It had been exactly one month, two weeks and four days since Kuguri had seen him through the shop window for the first time. His heart still raced just as rapidly, feeling as if it would leap from his throat and dance down the sidewalk. Shibayama, as he had come to learn, was standing next to a shelf and making neat rows of tea boxes. Freshly blended, Kuguri was sure. 

The smile glinting on the corner of Shibayama’s mouth was enough for Kuguri to feel faint and unworthy. His lips moved with what seemed to be a song, if the swaying of his hips was anything to go by. It wasn’t a new sight, but Kuguri was just as entranced as always. Shibayama was the reason that Kuguri walked a mile just for tea. 

Granted the tea was the shop brand, blended in the back by a skilled professional witch and laced with charms of all sorts depending on the kind you were looking for. Kuguri had become, what he considered to be, addicted to their calm and energy blends. And occasionally, he’d buy an individual packet of their luck blend for when he had an important surgery. 

Every other Thursday since moving to the east side of Tokyo for work, Kuguri would come to the shop to restock the tea cabinet in his box apartment near the campus. On every other Wednesday however, when his schedule allowed, he would sit across the street from the shop for a quarter of an hour to watch the handsome shopkeeper. 

It seemed simple enough to just speak to Shibayama, but Kuguri wasn’t the most confident of people. Besides, no one knew that this was where Kuguri disappeared to and he’d like nothing more than to keep it that way. He was quite content with simply seeing Shibayama once a week and knowing that he was still as gorgeous and safe as that first day.

The minutes ticked by as Kuguri watched Shibayama complete his task before moving to disappear into the back storage room. After a few minutes passed without sign of the dark haired shopkeep returning, Kuguri stood to leave. He walked back the way he had come, following the flow of foot traffic back to his apartment complex. 

As the sun finished its descent below the horizon, the sky faded into a deep violet leaving Kuguri under a gentle vale of shadows. His tail swished once, twice before a warm and familiar ache flooded through his body. Kuguri coughed, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth as he stretched. It didn’t matter how long his was in his Inu form, it always left him tense.

* * *

 

“Why is this still an issue?” Daishou asked with a disappointed expression and Kuguri rolled his eyes.    
  
“I didn’t say anything,” He explained as if it would stop Daishou from pestering him. Of course, Kuguri knew better as nothing stopped Daishou from meddling in his friend's business. 

Daishou rolled his eyes in return, dropping his lunch tray to the table with a smack and sitting down to eat his salad. Kuguri eyed the raw vegetables with a certain amount of distrust as he scratched the back of his neck, where the tag of his scrubs rubbed against his skin. He should really cut it off. 

“You look miserable,” Daishou said around his chewing, “Not that, that’s unusual.”    
  
Kuguri didn’t deem the concern worthy of a response as he finished his sandwich. He tossed his trash into the nearest bin and left the tray on top. “I have to put in a metal plate and pins in fifteen minutes,” He said shortly as he walked passed Daishou on the way to the door.    
  
“As if they’re going to start on time! Do what you need to do Kuguri-kun, or else you’re going to get older and even more unhappy. And maybe even die alone!” Daishou called after him with that knowing smirk. The one that Kuguri watched all through med-school; the one that was almost never wrong. He rolled his eyes again and jogged to the surgical floor. 

He was scrubbing down when the hall door burst open in a flurry of yellow scrubs. “Kuguri! Great to see you today!” Bokuto all but crowed, loud and boisterous as always. Kuguri nodded in way of reply, unaccustomed to the pediatric attendings personality. “Thanks for taking this case so suddenly! Judai is a great kid! I would have done it myself, but I have another kid, Mei, that can’t wait.” 

It was more information than Kuguri thought he needed to know, but he nodded respectfully anyway. Even if it wasn’t his specialty, Kuguri had a high level of respect for pediatric surgeons. He considered it to be one of the most difficult fields to work in. Any loss was horrible, but a child’s death was especially painful. 

He glanced at Bokuto as they walked through the sliding doors into the sterile environment of the operating room. The man always seemed to be a shining beacon, the very model of what a pediatric surgeon should be; but he had heard that Bokuto also took every loss especially hard, giving into depressed slumps each and every time. It sounded exhausting and heart wrenching. Kuguri didn’t understand how he did it. 

“Hey Judai! Let’s get that leg set so we can get you back to Volleyball!” Kuguri heard Bokuto saying as his gloves snapped into place. He glanced over at the table and finally noticed just how small the boy really was. The chart stated that Judai was almost sixteen, but his appearance wouldn’t have shown it. 

“Bokuto-sensei, where is Akaashi-san?” Judai asked from beneath the white veil of blankets. Bokuto’s smile widened at the question and Kuguri had half a mind to wonder who they were speaking of.    
  
“He’s right up there, just like I promised. I have to go and help Mei, but Akaashi will be here to watch over you for me.” Bokuto said with a firm nod and a comforting grip on Judai’s shoulder. A black haired man in visitors scrubs sat in the viewing gallery, waving down when Judai looked up. The smile on Judai’s face was enough for Kuguri to decide not to question it.    
  
“Hello Judai-kun,” Kuguri said calmly, approaching the table. He gave a smile to ease the worry on the boys face, giving a facade of no worry. “We’re going to get in and out as easily as possible. We’ll take care of you.” 

Judai nodded as the anesthesiologist placed a breathing mask over his face. Kuguri nodded with what he hoped was a comforting look, “I want you to take a few deep breaths and then count back from one hundred for me okay?”

By the time Judai reached ninety eight, his eyes slipped closed and his breathing evened out as sleep took him. Bokuto swayed from foot to foot for a moment, just to make sure that Judai was in good hands before turning to Kuguri with a suddenly intense expression. “Thanks again Kuguri-san, take good care of him,” He said seriously before leaving the room for another surgery.    
  
“Are you ready to begin, Kuguri-san?” A scrub nurse questioned gently and Kuguri nodded, holding his hand out.    
  
“Scalpel.” 

When Kuguri walked out of the scrub room after washing up, Bokuto’s operating room still had a red light over it; signalling that he was still working. He turned to one of the interns standing nearby, “Wait for Bokuto-san to get out of surgery and inform him that Judai’s going to be just fine. We’ll watch him overnight and he should be clear to go home in a few days.”   
  
The intern gave a sound of affirmation and that’s all that Kuguri needed to escape to one of the upper floor on-call rooms. He was only halfway through his shift, but when the shift was forty eight hours long he had to get sleep where he could. Even if it was only for a couple hours at a time.

* * *

 

It couldn’t have been more than an hour after Kuguri fell asleep when his pager went off beside his ear. He rolled over to bring the little screen up into his line of vision and swept up from the bed when he read the flashing print - ER 119.

Kuguri left the room at a run, leaving the mussed up bed for a housekeeper to clean. He darted down the hallways, zigzagging through the hospital and down three flights of stairs. Nurses and interns dodged out of his way and he stopped only momentarily to don a surgical gown and gloves. Semi, the trauma attending, waved him over to a bed with bloodstained sheets. 

“We’ve already got this under control, but you’re the bone guy, we need you on bed nine.” Semi waved him away, going back to the patient on the bed. 

“What happened?” Kuguri asked as he glanced down the line of beds, seeing that the ninth bed had the curtains drawn.    
  
“This idiot decided that robbing a witch’s store was a good idea,” Semi said with disgust, “Pointed a knife in the owner’s face and a shifter came from the back to take a chunk out of his leg. Before he went down, he got a good kick in, which is why we need you. Check for broken ribs.” 

A sinking feeling rose in his stomach, thinking of the witch’s shop that he frequently attended, before he pushed it away. What were the odds?

Kuguri eyed the mangled flesh of the man’s leg with a grimace and rushed down to bed nine. He pulled back the curtains and stepped inside, “Hello, I’m Kuguri Naoyasu, the bone specialist on-call. I hear that you suffered a hard kick to the side.” He took the chart from the end of the bed, raising it into his line of sight and scanning the admission notes. Everything pointed to having a diagnostic x-ray scan and he looked up at the patient to give them the news. 

The sight that greeted him made him jolt in surprise. Kuguri blinked twice at the Inu that laid on the bed, panting heavily and appearing drowsy. It’s black fur stood on end, a sheen of sweat dulling it in some places and a matted muzzle that Kuguri believed to be the criminals blood. He swayed from foot to foot at the end of the bed, unsure of exactly how to proceed. 

Shifters weren’t uncommon, as Kuguri was a shifter himself. However, it was the first time that Kuguri had been present when an injured shifter came into the emergency room. “Semi-san?” He called and in just a few seconds Semi was standing next to him, “I would like a consult.” 

Semi raised an eyebrow at him before taking the chart and reading it off, “Shibayama Yuuki, age twenty-eight, employee of Nightingale Botanicals, shifter, sustained kick to the ribs and unable to shift back, pointing to internal injuries preventing shift.” The Inu whined out a low heartbreaking noise that resonated in Kuguri’s mind. “Brought in with assailant and shop owner, Yaku Morisuke.” 

It felt as if the very ground had been ripped from beneath his feet and he was suspended in free fall. Shibayama, the gorgeous shopkeep that he saw on a biweekly basis, that he all but had a crush on, was laying on the bed in front of him; and he was injured and in pain. 

“I suggest an x-ray and ct scan to get a visual and then we’ll get you some pain medication Shibayama-san,” Semi said calmly, glancing up at Kuguri with a curious look, “If you will, Kuguri-san.”     
  
Kuguri nodded in understanding before smiling nervously at Shibayama, whose eyes locked on him. “I’ll take you up to x-ray now, Shibayama-san.” He said as he waved for two interns to help in rolling the bed out of the emergency room and up the elevators. As the elevator rose, Kuguri felt a soft flap of fur cover his hand that gripped the bed railing. 

He looked down to find that Shibayama had laid his tail over his wrist and he met eyes with the Inu. A familiar glint flashed in the dark eyes that stared up at him, drowsy as they might have been. Kuguri smiled gently before turning back to the opening doors with the elevator dinged. He wasn’t entirely sure, but it felt as if Shibayama recognized him. 

Kuguri sighed as they wheeled the bed into the x-ray room. It was only wishful thinking. 

With what Kuguri hoped to be only slight discomfort, he and an intern worked together to lift Shibayama from the bed and onto the x-ray table. The large machine hung overhead and Kuguri reached to move it into place. “This will only take a minute, then we’ll figure out what’s going on,” Kuguri explained.

He didn’t know what he expected, but when Shibayama didn’t reply he wanted to kick himself. After placing a protective radiation pad across the Inu’s hips, Kuguri walked out of the room briefly to take the picture. “One of the interns will bring the scans, while we get you back to the ER.” He said as he made sure that Shibayama was as comfortable as possible back in the bed. 

When the scans were in his hands, he held them up to the ceiling lights of the ER and frowned.  “It looks like we found what is preventing you from shifting Shibayama-san. There are two fractured ribs. This type of injury can take up to six weeks to heal, but I’m positive that after they are fully healed that you will be able to shift back.” He said as he narrowed his eyes and angled the scans so that Shibayama could see.    
  
“How long exactly will that take to heal?” A voice came from the left. 

Kuguri turned and recognized the small man standing to the right of the bed as the head witch at Nightingale Botanicals. This was the one who made all of his favorite teas. “Hello, Yaku-san. The fractures should take no more than six weeks to heal, but the area may be sore for a period of time afterwards.” Kuguri said with a small bow. 

“So, does that mean he has to stay in the hospital or can he go home?” Yaku asked, walking up to the bed when Shibayama snuffled at him. He reached over and scratched behind his ears gently. 

“In any normal circumstances, had Shibayama-san been in his human form I would say yes. It’s very rare for a shifter to be injured so severely that they can’t shift back. So, we would like to keep him under observation as he heals.” He placed the scans back into their folder. 

Shibayama flapped his tail against the bed in what Kuguri assumed to be a sign of annoyance and he gave him a sympathetic nod, “We’ll keep a close eye on you and if all goes well, you should be back home within the next couple months.” 

Yaku sighed heavily and rubbed down Shibayama’s ears, “I guess that means you’re stuck here, bud. I’ll come and visit you everyday after work though.” 

Shibayama only huffed in response.

* * *

 

The few days later, Kuguri found himself walking into Shibayama’s room on the fourth floor with his lunch tray and Shibayama’s. It was a Thursday afternoon and the sun poured into the room through the blinds. Shibayama gave him a low greeting bark as to not disturb other patients on the floor.

On the morning following Shibayama’s admittance into the hospital, Kuguri had been informed that Shibayama had made it through the night with no hiccups. However, the Inu wouldn’t eat the breakfast diced up and easy to swallow breakfast that the hospital staff provided. When Kuguri asked to see the meal, he felt a bit sick himself at the ghastly sight of all the different foods mixed together in a heap on the plate.

Shibayama may have been in his Inu form, but he was still a human being with the palate of one. Kuguri had gone and ordered two orders of omurice from the cafeteria. His patient had been exceedingly thankful, if the snuffling and tiny bark were anything to go by.

“It’s soba with vegetables today,” He said as he gently laid a tray in front of Shibayama, being careful not to spill the broth. 

The way that Shibayama carefully tested the temperature of the soup made Kuguri’s insides flutter. Sometimes Shibayama’s behavior was quite adorable, even though Kuguri had a difficult time admitting it. They ate in silence, not that Shibayama could partake in a conversation anyway. 

“I’m glad you like the soup,” Kuguri said, leaning back from his finished meal and wiping the edges of his mouth. “Soba is my favorite dish, so Thursday’s are always good.”    
  
Shibayama looked up at him from where he took a chunk of carrot from the bowl, chomping twice and swallowing it down. His eyes sparkled somewhat curiously, so Kuguri continued speaking.    
  
“Even when everything is so busy that I don’t get to eat lunch at the right time, the cafeteria always saves some for me.” He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window, following the drifting clouds with his eyes. “If there’s ever a day that I have a surgery scheduled during lunch, I’ll have an intern bring your food. Then, I’ll check in once I get out.”    
  
There was a soft woof and Kuguri glanced Shibayama’s way, getting a small nod that encouraged him to continue. “As you know already, I’m the orthopedic attending. I work with the musculoskeletal system. I mend broken bones and help put people back together again.”    
  
“Just last week, I inserted a plate to help a highschoolers broken leg heal. I believe he played volleyball, so we’re doing our best to help him get to play again.” Kuguri told the story of Judai, keeping the name a secret for confidentiality, “After he gets the plate out in a few months, he’ll have a good year of physical therapy. It’ll be a rough journey, but he’s determined to play again.”

As Kuguri went on about his past surgeries, Shibayama listened attentively as his tail swished back and forth on the bed. Kuguri hoped that his stories were at least a little interesting. Just as he was about to go into what surgeries he had scheduled for the next week, his pager went off in his pocket.    
  
“I’m sorry, an intern is paging me,” Kuguri stood from the chair and bowed in apology, “I’ll see you again tomorrow, Shibayama-san.”    
  
Without waiting for reply, Kuguri rushed from the room and down the hall. All the while thinking that the reason for the interruption had better be damn good.

* * *

 

When Kuguri mentioned his shopping trips to Nightingale Botanicals to Shibayama for the first time, it was almost two weeks later. Shibayama barked at the mention of Kuguri visiting the shop and if Inus could smile, Kuguri was sure that Shibayama was. “I come to the shop every other week, to get some of my favorite tea blends,” He explained and Shibayama’s ears swiveled excitedly.

“I first found the shop a few weeks after arriving in Tokyo,” When Shibayama’s nose twitched, what Kuguri had discovered meant a request for clarification, he explained, “I moved here for work. A former senpai of mine, the cardiothoracic attending, gave me a good recommendation when I applied.”    
  
“My favorite blend is the energizing blend,” Kuguri said, sipping at his drink, “It really helps with the long shifts that I work. You have to sleep when you can and you work hours long surgeries six days a week. Or at least, I do.”    
  
Another nose twitch.    
  
“It’s my first year of employment, so I stick to the hospital as much as I can. My apartment is nearby and almost completely for show. I usually go there to cleanup and sleep a solid ten hours, before coming right back to work again. It also helps to not be too far from my patients, should anything happen.”   
  
Shibayama’s reply rumbled in his chest, sounding similar to a purr and Kuguri grinned. It was a teasing sound, or a scolding sound, he wasn’t quite sure which yet. Either way, it was cute.    
  
“If it were possible to work less hours, I can’t say that I would though. I really do enjoy helping people.”

* * *

 

The next week was hectic as Kuguri had back to back surgeries mending a broken arm, fractured leg and shattered pelvis. He hadn’t been able to get back to see Shibayama, though he did have his interns keep him updated. It was late one night when Kuguri finally had a break, a short moment to himself.    
  
At first the blessed space of the on-call rooms beckoned him, but as he stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor he immediately walks in the direction of Shibayama’s room. When he cracks open the door, it’s dark inside except for the soft glow from the night light above the bed. Shibayama is asleep, chin resting on the pillow and hind leg kicking at nothing.

Whines escape his throat unhinged and he groans in pain. Kuguri steps further into the room, and walks forward ready to wake Shibayama from the nightmare when the fit subsided. Shibayama wilted against the bed with a huff, before his eyes peeked open, staring blankly at the window and unaware of Kuguri’s presence. 

“Are you alright?” Kuguri asks as quietly as he can, but Shibayama still startles. A growl echoes through the room before Shibayama realizes who he is and then gives a whine of apology.    
  
He walks the rest of the way to the bed and with only a little hesitation, smooths down Shibayama’s ears with a gentle hand. With easy touches he scratched behind his ears, trying to get the Inu to relax again. “I know that it’s been a long couple weeks, but the next few weeks will pass quickly. Starting on Monday, we’re going to reassess your ribs and see about getting you into some physical therapy.”    
  
Shibayama snorted against his hand, resting his chin on the pillow once more. As the minutes passed, Kuguri watched as Shibayama relaxed more into the bed before finally falling back asleep. Little snuffles escaped him and Kuguri smiled softly before walking around to the bed to sit in the chair, deciding to stay for a bit to make sure the nightmare didn’t return.    
  
A sharp whine broke the haze around Kuguri’s mind and he sat up from where he’d slumped against the bed. It was still dark outside, but something was wrong. He looked up at Shibayama with sleepy eyes, noticing that the Inu was having another bad dream.    
  
With caution, he reached out and ran his hand over Shibayama’s fur, easing down his back. The calming feeling seemed to help, but Shibayama’s leg still kicked out as if he were fighting something off. Kuguri sighed, deciding if he should wake Shibayama up.   
  
After a few moments of watching his patient fight off the unknown demons, Kuguri rolled his shoulders and stepped away from the bed as an idea came to him. He wasn’t sure that it would work, but it felt like he needed to try. His spine cracked as he melded down onto four paws. 

He easily hopped onto the chair and then to the bed. Shibayama whined again as Kuguri settled down beside him, lining up their sides and carefully resting his chin over Shibayama’s shoulders. Seconds ticked by as Shibayama seemed to become more anxious, legs galloping against the air and going nowhere until finally, he heaved a sigh and settled back down against the mattress.

Kuguri half expected Shibayama to wake up like he did the last time, but then the other Inu shifted closer to him before his breathing evened out once more. It was strange; the feeling of another person pressed up against him in such a calming way. If it meant Shibayama having a good night's sleep though, Kuguri could deal with it. 

* * *

“You’ve been avoiding him for a week and a half.” The way that Daishou’s tray smacked against the table unnerved him, but Kuguri stayed resolutely silent. 

“He’s avoiding who?” Bokuto asked, taking a bite out of his chicken wrap and chewing curiously. Daishou grinned, happy for the opportunity and Kuguri kept his eyes on the windows. 

Maybe if he ignored them both, then they’d go away. “A patient of his,” Daishou nearly hissed.

Kuguri sighed heavily. No such luck.

Bokuto looked aghast, “Kuguri-san, you can’t neglect your patient like that. What if something went wrong?” Even though the head of pediatrics didn’t know anything about Kuguri’s situation, the words still gave him a feeling of guilt.    
  
“That’s right, Kuguri! What if something happened to our dear…” Daishou trailed off with a raised eyebrow and Kuguri sighed again.   
  
“Shibayama-san,” He muttered through a mouthful of lo mein.    
  
“Our dear Shibayama-kun,” Daishou continued, “Who makes your favorite tea in the world if I’m not mistaken!”    
  
Kuguri took a drink of his water as Bokuto leaned forward to put his elbows on the table, “Shibayama-san makes tea? Akaashi loves tea! What kind does he make?” 

“He doesn’t make the tea, at least that I know of.” Kuguri said as he gathered his trash on his tray, “He works at Nightingale Botanicals, that’s all I know.”    
  
“Ah that’s right, because Shibayama-kun is stuck in his Inu form,” Daishou grinned, “So you’ve been the only one spilling your guts.” 

Bokuto’s eyebrows rose, but before he could ask anymore questions, Kuguri stood and wished them a good day. He rushed out of the cafeteria, hearing Bokuto’s question to Daishou follow him. 

“He’s falling for a patient isn’t he?” 

* * *

It was two weeks before Kuguri had a good reason to see Shibayama, besides being his doctor and having an intern check on him every day. His pager went off in the middle of a shower and when he saw the message - SHIBA 119 - he ran into the hospital fifteen minutes later, slightly damp and hair still dripping.

He was halfway through putting on a pair of gloves as he entered Shibayama’s room only to stop dead in his tracks. There sitting on the bed was Shibayama, human form and all. Bright eyes stared at him in shock, not exactly expecting the sight of a disheveled Kuguri.    
  
“Hello, Kuguri-san,” Shibayama greeted with a shy smile. He pulled his hospital gown tighter around himself as sat up a little straighter. Kuguri’s breath rushed out of him all at once as he finished putting on his second glove.    
  
“Hello, Shibayama-san,” He said as he pulled the stethoscope from around his neck, “You’ve been able to shift back, that’s wonderful news! How are you feeling?”    
  
As he leaned forward to place the device against Shibayama’s chest, he listened closely for any signs of breathing difficulties. “Still sore. An intern asked me a bunch of questions, so I guess I’m gonna be fine.” Shibayama said softly, letting Kuguri check him over.    
  
“Are your ribs feeling worse after the shift?” Kuguri prodded at the flesh over the ribs gently, trying to keep Shibayama from feeling much discomfort.    
  
“It doesn’t hurt worse,” Shibayama flinched at a particularly sensitive spot, “But it’s still sore.”    
  
“They will be for a while,” Kuguri leaned back finally, allowing Shibayama some space. “I think we’ll do another round of scans, just to make sure that everything is healing properly and that the shift hasn’t done any damage. But if everything checks out, you’ll be able to go home tomorrow.”    
  
Shibayama nodded in understanding, smile tilting in a way that made Kuguri’s head swim, “I should call Yaku-san and tell him the good news then.” 

“That’s a good idea,” Kuguri said with a nod, “You’ll have to be easy with yourself for a while. No heavy lifting and no laying on that side, but you’ll be able to go back to work as well.” He walked over and tossed his gloves in the trash before using some hand sanitizer. “We’ll schedule you a check-up appointment for two weeks out.”    
  
There was a moment of silence as Kuguri marked a note down in the chart at the end of the bed and when Kuguri looked back up, Shibayama was staring at him with another soft smile. “It’s been almost two weeks since you’ve come to see me, since you helped me sleep that night.” Shibayama pointed out and Kuguri felt mortification flood through him.    
  
“I apologize if it was…” Kuguri bowed low, wide eyes on the floor when Shibayama laughed.    
  
“No, it was very kind of you.” Shibayama said with reddening cheeks, “I recognized you for the second time that night.”    
  
“The second…” Kuguri stumbled over his words, before realizing that due to his shifting into his Inu form, Shibayama knew that he came to sit across from the shop every other week. He dropped his face into his hands, cheeks flaming as he took a deep breath.    
  
“But it wasn’t the first time I recognized you, or the first time that I was glad to see you,” Shibayama said in a way that made Kuguri look up from behind his fingers to find him staring out the windows.    
  
It felt as if the air had been vacuumed out of the room and that Kuguri was floating. 

When Shibayama turned back to meet eyes, he bowed slightly, “Would you have dinner with me this weekend Kuguri-san, should your schedule allow it?” 

The sun dipped below the horizon at that very moment, leaving the dusty beams of fading light dancing around the room. It warmed the room just as it warmed Kuguri, from what felt like the inside out. He never imagined that this was how they would meet, properly, after finding him that first time.    
  
“I have a surgery this weekend, but next Wednesday is the other week,” Kuguri said with a smile that seemed to grow on it’s own.

Shibayama’s smile only made his heart beat harder, “Naturally. I’ll bring the tea.”


End file.
